SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- DJ Rose has seen it all. After 17 years running Halo Tattoo on Marshall Street with co-owner Ron Perry, Rose has inked fresh-faced students, sage grandparents and everyone in between.

Both of Rose's parents had tattoos and he always liked how they looked. Growing up, he never connected a stigma to them. Now a father of four, Rose says his children draw on each other, but never express real interest in tattoos.

"It's so normal to them," said Rose. "It never will be rebellious to them."

Once taboo, tattoos are simply too common to be considered fringe anymore. In December 2013, Pew Research Center reported 45 million Americans (of all ages) have at least one tattoo. Based on the most recent U.S. census, that's about one out of seven Americans, and those numbers aren't on the decline.

If you're thinking about inking in 2015, possibly for the first time, Rose offers five considerations before stopping by one of Central New York's dozens of tattoo studios.

1. Rookie mistakes

Rose says the biggest mistake people make is poor communication, both in articulating what tattoo they want and failing to heed the advice of a professional.

During our interview, a young woman walked in asking for two simple X's on her hip. It was her first tattoo ever. Rose grilled her on exactly how she wanted "two simple X's" to look like. Lined up next to each other? Touching? Horizontal or vertical? Black or color? Big or small? Smaller than her finger? Smaller than her fingernail?

"Most people want to take care of their tattoos so [upkeep] isn't a problem," Rose said. "It's when somebody wants something small and doesn't understand [they] can't have as many details. You can't have both. Communication gap is a big problem."

Don't rush the design description. Ask questions and speak up if you want adjustments when the artist shows you the preliminary sketches. If you're not seeing eye to eye with an artist, or if you feel like you're getting pushed into something different from what you want, you can always take your business elsewhere.

2. Prepare mentally, financially and sartorially

Last June, The Social Science Journal's researchers interviewed 195 tattooed and 257 non-tattooed college students about their attitudes toward tattoos. They concluded the stigma against tattooed students mostly strongly correlates with the belief that tattooing involves health risks and pain. No surprise there.

Yes, it'll hurt a bit. It'll bleed a bit. But a real pro will talk you through any fears or apprehension, and give you breaks when you need them. Eat a hearty breakfast that day. No one wants you to pass out.

Rose can't stress enough you get what you pay for. You can shop around for lower prices, but a good studio will sell you on their skills and cleanliness, not their deals. Bring enough to tip the artist and buy tattoo aftercare products if you need them.

Finally, shower and dress for the occasion. You could be sitting or lying in one position for hours, so loose, comfortable clothing is ideal. If you're getting an arm tattoo, for example, don't wear long sleeves.

3. Trends will be trends

Rose has seen hundreds of tattoo designs wax and wane in popularity. Currently, one of his most requested designs is an infinity symbol with words in or around it.

"But people are always getting different words for different reasons," Rose said. "You can't really judge something like that. People will buy different sneakers and have different walks, you know what I'm saying? I don't concern myself with what people want. I just want to give it to them to best of my abilities."

4. Deal-breakers

Rose won't tattoo racist slurs or pieces, but he's not opposed to what some may consider offensive symbols. He'd definitely tattoo a swastika on someone, for example.

"That symbol is thousands of years old and was used for about 20 years for a bad purpose," Rose said. "In India, it's everywhere. Indians don't think of it as a bad symbol, it's just Europeans. That symbol is the sun wheel.

"There's a reason why the bad guys picked that symbol," he added. "It's an awesome, powerful symbol. I would definitely do them [as a tattoo]."

Rose refuses to do tattoos of wedding bands that go all the way around the finger ("It never stays on well"). He also talks people out of white ink tattoos because there's no real contrast against the body.

"They look really good when you first do them, but over time they lose integrity," Rose said. "Unless it's a pattern, I feel like it draws attention in a strange way. I don't want people to come back upset."

5. Rules and regulations

Safety and cleanliness are paramount in the tattoo industry, of course, but choosing a studio with good practices really comes down to a customer's common sense.

Only two federal regulations exist for tattoo studios. They can't tattoo anyone younger than 18 or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Any other regulation is left up to state. New York has had regulations pending for years. Officially, tattooing and body piercing regulations are "currently being developed by the New York State Department of Health under the statutory authority of Public Health Law Article 4A." In other words, under construction.

Until new state regulations are in place, local regulations, if any, apply. Tattoo and body piercing studio owners must have a permit in order to operate and all artists must obtain individual permits as well. These certifications should be on display. Do research on the studio, look up reviews of the artists and make your choice based on the artist's experience and health standards and your own comfort.

"We don't want to be over-regulated," said Rose. "I think that's always the fear. In some places they've instituted the most ridiculous guidelines because they don't understand the industry."

An examples of a ridiculous guideline? Rose once heard about a full-time nurse staffed at a California studio.

"Obviously, we don't need that," Rose said. "That's just prohibitive to anyone doing a real business. It'd be nice to set some sort of regulation so not just anybody could do [tattoo art]. But we're professionals and we can deal with anything that comes our way."

Learn more about tattoos (or show off your own) at the annual Am-Jam Tattoo Expo on Jan. 23-25, 2015 at the Best Western Plus, Carrier Circle. Find admission details on Facebook or call 518-893-2273.